[mtgnexus] Random Card of the Day - Rishkar, Peema Renegade

[TheGildedGoose]

two Canada Geese are fighting outside my window as I type this.

Go on.

[pokken]

Go on.

You got a problem with canada gooses you got a problem with me and I suggest you let that one marinate.

[Hawk]

Given all the treasure support we've seen in the last two years (also Clue and Food, to a lesser extent), I'm shocked Academy Manufactor is still just $2-3. I guess with that said as I type, I get why:

- If your commander isn't the one making the tokens, this probably is too much of a "do nothing" for most decks; most decks simply don't have the critical mass of Treasure/Clue/Food makers to make this worthwhile. Treasure is by far the most populous of these tokens with 26 commanders (including Forge, Neverwinter Charlatan but not acorn commanders) that can repeatedly make treasures or are strong payoffs for treasures (in the case of Kalain, Reclusive Painter). We then have 8 investigators (with one overlap in Tivit, Seller of Secrets) and just three "Food" commanders including the upcoming Sam, Loyal Attendant. Several of the treasure commanders are sorta bad or are UB (in fact, most of the investigate commanders are Stranger Things or Warhammer characters), so that's a shorter list of commanders who want this than I'd thought despite Prosper, Tome-Bound's ubiquity.
- While the value is off the chain especially if you can clone or copy the Manufactor, these tokens aren't created equal. Food commanders probably really want to make Treasures and Clues because food in a vacuum isn't that useful. Clue commanders don't mind making treasures for sure, but the food tokens don't do a whole lot for them and most of them are strong enough payoffs without needing treasure. And most of the good treasure makers don't need or care about Clues or Food as they have better ways of converting their treasures into cards.

[Guardman]

two Canada Geese are fighting outside my window as I type this.

Go on.

I have to sleep with my blinds close because my bedroom is directly above the entrance to my building and there is an overhang right in front of my window. A Saturday, not soon after I bought my condo, I am awoke by a strange noise. I look around groggy, but don't see anything. Then I hear it again. A tap, tap, tap. As soon as I look at my window, a Canada goose honks loudly, almost causing me to fall out of my bed. Apparently it didn't appreciate me sleeping in my bedroom.

Edit: Speak of the devil. A pair of Canada geese just started tapping on my window, staring me down.

[Hermes_]

two Canada Geese are fighting outside my window as I type this.

Go on.

I have to sleep with my blinds close because my bedroom is directly above the entrance to my building and there is an overhang right in front of my window. A Saturday, not soon after I bought my condo, I am awoke by a strange noise. I look around groggy, but don't see anything. Then I hear it again. A tap, tap, tap. As soon as I look at my window, a Canada goose honks loudly, almost causing me to fall out of my bed. Apparently it didn't appreciate me sleeping in my bedroom.

Edit: Speak of the devil. A pair of Canada geese just started tapping on my window, staring me down.

And he was never seen again

[wildfire393]

Academy Manufactor is one of my favorite cards from the past few years, and I've basically always had at least one deck packing it since it hit. There's just something immensely satisfying about generating that many game objects. So many ways to turn it into full-blown advantage.

[Dragonlover]

I run it in wincons since it can just get me there with at least two of the wincons. Cool card, even nuttier if you clone it.

Dragonlover

[Guardman]

If your commander isn't the one making the tokens, this probably is too much of a "do nothing" for most decks; most decks simply don't have the critical mass of Treasure/Clue/Food makers to make this worthwhile. Treasure is by far the most populous of these tokens with 26 commanders (including Forge, Neverwinter Charlatan but not acorn commanders) that can repeatedly make treasures or are strong payoffs for treasures (in the case of Kalain, Reclusive Painter). We then have 8 investigators (with one overlap in Tivit, Seller of Secrets) and just three "Food" commanders including the upcoming Sam, Loyal Attendant. Several of the treasure commanders are sorta bad or are UB (in fact, most of the investigate commanders are Stranger Things or Warhammer characters), so that's a shorter list of commanders who want this than I'd thought despite Prosper, Tome-Bound's ubiquity.

So the more I think about it, this is probably the best reason why Academy Manufactor is only two bucks and change. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years we look back and are kicking ourselves for not grabbing all of the Academy Manufactors we can carry.

Also, to continue my goose saga, here is a picture of the perps.

SPOILER

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Just look at the soulless look in their eyes, ready to destroy me the moment I let my guard down. But they don't call me Guardman for nothing.

*Beats Chest*

[TheGildedGoose]

Also, to continue my goose saga, here is a picture of the perps.

SPOILER

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This is the content I come here for.

[Hawk]

If your commander isn't the one making the tokens, this probably is too much of a "do nothing" for most decks; most decks simply don't have the critical mass of Treasure/Clue/Food makers to make this worthwhile. Treasure is by far the most populous of these tokens with 26 commanders (including Forge, Neverwinter Charlatan but not acorn commanders) that can repeatedly make treasures or are strong payoffs for treasures (in the case of Kalain, Reclusive Painter). We then have 8 investigators (with one overlap in Tivit, Seller of Secrets) and just three "Food" commanders including the upcoming Sam, Loyal Attendant. Several of the treasure commanders are sorta bad or are UB (in fact, most of the investigate commanders are Stranger Things or Warhammer characters), so that's a shorter list of commanders who want this than I'd thought despite Prosper, Tome-Bound's ubiquity.

So the more I think about it, this is probably the best reason why Academy Manufactor is only two bucks and change. I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years we look back and are kicking ourselves for not grabbing all of the Academy Manufactors we can carry.

Also, to continue my goose saga, here is a picture of the perps.

SPOILER

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Just look at the soulless look in their eyes, ready to destroy me the moment I let my guard down. But they don't call me Guardman for nothing.

*Beats Chest*

When my wife and I still rented, we had a duck pond in our apartment complex and geese like this would summer there and be general nuisances. One time we were driving out to dinner and a goose was in the road instead of the pond. It saw our car, reared back like a freakin' velociraptor, and charged. We got out with umbrellas to scare it off before it scratched the paint, but the goose was dead serious about fighting our car to the death.

Stay safe, comrade. We'll honor you if you do not return.

[Mookie]

....Hawk and TheGildedGoose are interested in the bird stuff. I really shouldn't be surprised. @_@

Anyway, Academy Manufactor is niche but broken when supported. Token doublers like Anointed Procession and Parallel Lives are strong, so paying three mana for a token tripler is pretty absurd (and that's before considering it can be easily cloned). You do have to support it though - there are plenty of commanders that can make food / treasure / clues, but I wouldn't run it just to make Smothering Tithe better.

[3drinks]

I run it in wincons since it can just get me there with at least two of the wincons. Cool card, even nuttier if you clone it.

I'm fairly certain cloning this does nothing as Academy Manufactor is a replacement effect by it's wording. Similar to having this out alongside Xorn. Just something to keep in mind.

[pokken]

I run it in wincons since it can just get me there with at least two of the wincons. Cool card, even nuttier if you clone it.

I'm fairly certain cloning this does nothing as Academy Manufactor is a replacement effect by it's wording. Similar to having this out alongside Xorn. Just something to keep in mind.

Naw. I think you get like 3 of each for each one with two manufactors.

First one sees one, makes one of each, then the other one makes one of each for each of the three the first one made (so 1 3 9).

[Treamayne]

I run it in wincons since it can just get me there with at least two of the wincons. Cool card, even nuttier if you clone it.

I'm fairly certain cloning this does nothing as Academy Manufactor is a replacement effect by it's wording. Similar to having this out alongside Xorn. Just something to keep in mind.

Naw. I think you get like 3 of each for each one with two manufactors.

First one sees one, makes one of each, then the other one makes one of each for each of the three the first one made (so 1 3 9).

Precisely. From the Gatherer Errata:

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6/18/2021 If you control one Academy Manufactor and would create some number of Clue, Food, or Treasure tokens, you will instead create that many Clue tokens, that many Food tokens, and that many Treasure tokens.
6/18/2021 If you control two Academy Manufactors and would create some number of Clue, Food, or Treasure tokens, you will instead create three times that many Clue tokens, three times that many Food tokens, and three times that many Treasure tokens.
6/18/2021 If you control eighteen Academy Manufactors (I don't know, you figure it out) and would create some number of Clue, Food, or Treasure tokens, you will instead create 129,140,163 times that many Clue tokens, 129,140,163 times that many Food tokens, and 129,140,163 times that many Treasure tokens.

Never played it myself yet (not a Golem, so doesn't slot into Karn Golem Tribal) - but it seems . . . excessive. While, at the same time it seems a bit superfluous. I would think that most decks making one of these cares about the one they are making (food synergy - or clue synergy - or treasure synergy), so making the others seems to either be against theme or win-more.

But that's just me.

[Mookie]

I would think that most decks making one of these cares about the one they are making (food synergy - or clue synergy - or treasure synergy), so making the others seems to either be against theme or win-more.

Something I've noticed when tuning my decks is an effect that feels like convergent evolution. Convergent evolution is the idea that given a similar environment, different organisms that evolved in that environment will often resemble each other. For example, dolphins and fish both have many similar adaptations due to their aquatic environment, while birds and bats both have similar adaptations due to their shared flying keyword.

As I tune my decks over time, something similar happens. I start my decks with a commander and create an environment where that commander will perform optimally. For example, my Teysa, Orzhov Scion deck has cards like Path of Ancestry and Welcoming Vampire that trigger off my commander. This has the second-order effect of encouraging me to run cards like Tymna the Weaver and Liliana, Heretical Healer // Liliana, Defiant Necromancer - they don't directly synergize with my commander, but the fact that they're 2-power, 3-mana legendary humans means that they happen to overperform in the environment I've created.

In general, I would expect many decks with commanders that generate treasure/food/clue tokens to surround those commanders with cards that can make use of those tokens - stuff like Krark-Clan Ironworks, Korvold, Fae-Cursed King, or Inspiring Statuary. As a result, I would generally expect those decks to also enable cards that generate similar-looking tokens - in this case, other artifact tokens that can sacrifice themselves or be used as sac fodder. So, even if a deck is specifically built around food tokens, they'll probably still work well with treasure and clue tokens... and that's before accounting for the inherent value of those tokens, and only taking their typeline into account.

[Toshi]

birds and bats both have similar adaptations due to their shared flying keyword.

Thanks for the giggle!

[Treamayne]

Something I've noticed when tuning my decks is an effect that feels like convergent evolution. Convergent evolution is the idea that given a similar environment, different organisms that evolved in that environment will often resemble each other. For example, dolphins and fish both have many similar adaptations due to their aquatic environment, while birds and bats both have similar adaptations due to their shared flying keyword.

I sometimes forget how much of an outlier I am. My preferred self-imposed limitation is theme (and that theme is usually True Tribal - see my post for how I define it) and I prefer it because it both allows me to ignore 95% of Goodstuff (of course Craterhoof Behemoth only belongs in a Beast deck) and forces me to stretch and make use of niche cards (e. g. of course the Spirit deck is going to rock Broken Visage).
I can see why you mean what you mean - but my initial knee-jerk was "this only belongs in an Assembly-worker deck since, for example, a Clue deck shouldn't use non-clue tokens." But that is totally my hang-up. It would irk me to have this in a deck for one of the three token types since it isn't quite on-theme. . .
PS: Does that mean the dolphins and fish have Islandhome?

[pokken]

I would think that most decks making one of these cares about the one they are making (food synergy - or clue synergy - or treasure synergy)

treasure synergy really likes drawing cards so treasures kinda naturally synergize with clues (less so food).

[Chromaticus]

This is one of my favorite cards to see in TWO of my favorite decks right now:

Jaheira, Friend of the Forest / Clan Crafter — Academy Manufactor takes this deck to the moon. Ethereal Investigator, make 9 mana. Yes please :D Gilded Goose becomes a Dark Ritual. Fae Offering activation goes ham… this deck is full of these.

Tivit, Seller of Secrets — no matter what you vote for, I'm getting 15 artifacts.

[3drinks]

Wednesday, March 29th, 2023; Haughty Djinn

[3drinks]

I run it in wincons since it can just get me there with at least two of the wincons. Cool card, even nuttier if you clone it.

I'm fairly certain cloning this does nothing as Academy Manufactor is a replacement effect by it's wording. Similar to having this out alongside Xorn. Just something to keep in mind.

Naw. I think you get like 3 of each for each one with two manufactors.

First one sees one, makes one of each, then the other one makes one of each for each of the three the first one made (so 1 3 9).

Good talk. I'm not used to multiple replacement effects applying to the same event.

If you control eighteen Academy Manufactors (I don't know, you figure it out) and would create some number of Clue, Food, or Treasure tokens, you will instead create 129,140,163 times that many Clue tokens, 129,140,163 times that many Food tokens, and 129,140,163 times that many Treasure tokens.

This must be everyone's next goal. now, where's my Rite of Replication...............

[Mookie]

PS: Does that mean the dolphins and fish have Islandhome?

Fish have islandhome (Dandân, Island Fish Jasconius), but dolphins don't, presumably because they can breathe air. Which I guess is represented by flying? See Ethereal Forager and Killer Whale, and that's before we consider Kaladesh's skywhales. Meanwhile, sharks have flash (Shambleshark, Voracious Greatshark, Shark Typhoon). Hmmm....

Haughty Djinn is an evasive beater that also provides cost reduction for spellslinger decks. It's an extra mana over Baral, Chief of Compliance / Goblin Electromancer, but the improved body can certainly be worth it in some decks. I've been meaning to test it out in my Mizzix deck, although I'm not sure if it actually makes the cut - the deck doesn't really win by attacking (and Haughty Djinn is just a so-so blocker), so I'm not sure it would contribute any more to my gameplan more than Baral would, or if the increased threat level would just mean it died more often. Hmmm... Definitely seems reasonable in more aggressive spellslinger decks like Balmor, Battlemage Captain and Talrand, Sky Summoner though.

[onering]

I'm fairly certain cloning this does nothing as Academy Manufactor is a replacement effect by it's wording. Similar to having this out alongside Xorn. Just something to keep in mind.

Naw. I think you get like 3 of each for each one with two manufactors.

First one sees one, makes one of each, then the other one makes one of each for each of the three the first one made (so 1 3 9).

Good talk. I'm not used to multiple replacement effects applying to the same event.

If you control eighteen Academy Manufactors (I don't know, you figure it out) and would create some number of Clue, Food, or Treasure tokens, you will instead create 129,140,163 times that many Clue tokens, 129,140,163 times that many Food tokens, and 129,140,163 times that many Treasure tokens.

This must be everyone's next goal. now, where's my Rite of Replication...............

This kills the MTGO. I'll see if I can do this tonight and if it turns my processor into the sun.

[Dunadain]

I realizer saying "cost reduction effects are lame" is awfully reductive but... that's how it be.

Especially instant and sorcery cost reduction spells.

[3drinks]

Naw. I think you get like 3 of each for each one with two manufactors.

First one sees one, makes one of each, then the other one makes one of each for each of the three the first one made (so 1 3 9).

Good talk. I'm not used to multiple replacement effects applying to the same event.

If you control eighteen Academy Manufactors (I don't know, you figure it out) and would create some number of Clue, Food, or Treasure tokens, you will instead create 129,140,163 times that many Clue tokens, 129,140,163 times that many Food tokens, and 129,140,163 times that many Treasure tokens.

This must be everyone's next goal. now, where's my Rite of Replication...............

This kills the MTGO. I'll see if I can do this tonight and if it turns my processor into the sun.

I know I already broke the token limit with a kicked Rite on Precursor Golem...and the incredibly tedious clicks of then Radiateing a chaos warp targeting the golem. But I did this in a private solitaire game just to see.

...There may or may not have been a phyrexian metamorph involved here too. maaaayyyyybbbeeee...